Athletes of the Week

Charlee Lund… ”It’s not often we have runners cracking into the best 5k times in school history, let alone a freshman.  That’s precisely what Charlee Lund achieved at the Sectional Meet in Merrill by running the 5k course in 19:37.  Charlee started the race in a smart position within the second pack in 6th place overall.  After the mile she made a move to distance herself from this group and got herself into 5th place.  For the rest of the race she would retain this position, which was imperative to attain an individual spot for the WIAA State Meet since the top five individuals in the race were all not associated with the top two state qualifying teams.  Charlee has proven herself a capable varsity front runner and based on her season efforts, we believe she will be in this motivating position for a long time.  She knows the sport of distance running extremely well and has been training for this nearly all her life.  Pair this with her burning desire to be the best and you’ve got the real deal.” 

Caiden Reichelt… ”The Tomahawk boys started the season not knowing who would claim the #1 spot.  It wasn’t until our challenging Division I race in Menomonie that Caiden really shined, pushing himself to the front of the pack without even knowing it due to how the races are run in relay fashion.  It simply can’t be stated enough, Caiden has time and time again pushed himself to new heights past his comfort zone.  No other race displayed his fantastic efforts more than at the Sectional Meet.  Knowing that it would take a mighty effort to have a shot at individually qualifying for state, Caiden willed himself to catch body after body as he went from 17th at the 1 mile to 14th at the 2 mile to finishing 10th place overall.  To top it off he once again attained a personal record of 17:43.  Even though he missed going to state by one more body.  It should be noted that had Rhinelander gotten 2nd like they were ranked to do, Caiden’s awesome all out push at the end to pass an Oconto Falls runner would have sent him to the state meet.  The coaching staff and team only wish we could have Caiden for one more year, but this senior will be off to bigger and better things.”

Norah Mann…”Junior Norah Mann has gone through a lot of ups and downs this season.  Distance running can be a very complicated sport and Norah knows just how frustrating it can be.  That being said she has never given up and with some great goals to guide her she has found a way to get herself back into the mix.  The girls team has needed her and she didn’t disappoint at the Great Northern Conference varsity race taking 14th overall earning a spot on the 2nd Team All-Conference with a time of 23:36 on the tough course.  With Norah back on track, this girls team is right in line as a top competitor for the Merrill Division II Sectional.”

Luke Morrison…”Sophomore Luke Morrison ran a majority of the junior varsity Great Northern Conference race in second place but made a decisive move late in the race to go for the gold.  He would finish in 21:01 leading the junior varsity boys to a dominating victory.  Luke is coming on at the right time of the season, in the previous race he posted a new personal record of 20:17 in the 5k.  Luke is a pivotal piece of the boys team and will be a major contributor in the years to come.  With off-season mileage Luke could be taking another large step forward next season, he is certainly a runner to watch with great potential.”  

Abbie Rosenmeier…“Junior Abbie Rosenmeier has been one of our most consistent performers on the girls team.  She has managed to keep herself healthy and has done everything that has been asked of her.  True to form she has turned up the dial coming into the last few weeks of the season and has once again found faster strides.  Just recently at the home invitational she earned another medal this season by finishing as the second lady Hatchet and took 7th overall.  The best part about this race is that this was our team’s final higher volume week and she managed to post a new personal record time of 21:08 in the 5k.  The coaches love how reliable she is and how she brings a positive vibe to the girls team that is always needed to keep spirits high.”

Cayden Shepler…“Another fantastic leader on the team coming off of a great race is senior Cayden Shepler.  Cayden struggled to find his previous season’s race times earlier this season but this didn’t deter the veteran, as he continued to help do his part in leading the team.  Dropping nearly three minutes at the home invitational though, Cayden attained a new personal record in the 5k by running 21:49.  As mentioned previously Cayden’s greatest influence has been on his younger teammates helping them understand what it takes to be a Hatchet cross country runner, showing them when to have fun and when to work hard.  Cayden’s smile, positive attitude, and leadership will be sorely missed next season.”  

 Savannah Reinke...“Distance running is a simple sport but to succeed in it, it requires great dedication to a day in and day out process that most struggle to follow.  Freshman Savannah Reinke has committed to this process and has followed the training plans laid out for her to the best of her ability.  Due to this unwavering commitment Savannah has been injury free and just recently ran a personal record dropping two minutes off of her previous time.  Starting the race in 94th at the mile and pushing herself into 89th, she ran the Athens 5k course in 30:27.  As the team makes its final push towards the postseason races, girls like Savannah are a shining example of how to trust the training and benefit from the results at the right time.  Savannah is a must have student-athlete on any roster, a hard worker who quietly and effectively goes about her business.” 

Orin Erickson… “Another freshman runner who has trusted the training and put forth an honest effort at each and every practice has been Orin Erickson.  He has become a seamless member of the boys team and has been one of the most consistent performers on the team.  Like many of his teammates, Orin challenged himself at the start of the Athens race and would end up attaining a new personal record of 23:22.  Beyond being reliable, Orin has always practiced and raced with a smile on his face.  He genuinely enjoys being around the team and his positive energy only makes the boys team better.  The coaching staff can’t wait to see how Orin will develop as a distance runner in the coming years.” 

Lydia Shaney...“The girls team has recently ran into some issues with injury and inconsistency, but neither of these terms have applied to senior Lydia Shaney.  Lydia has consistently been one of the team’s top three finishers every race this year and at Merrill she had to step up into the number one spot.  Lydia didn’t hesitate and in fact dropped an additional place to finish the race in 4th overall with a season best time of 21:35.  Lydia has been the team’s scout and knows where she and her teammates need to be to have success at various meets.  Her knowledge and passion for the sport have been truly valuable traits that she has brought to this team for the last three years.  Lydia knows this is the final run for her and her classmates, she will continue to do what is necessary for the team when it matters most.” 

Bodie Olsen...“Freshman typically drop their time as the season goes on due to many factors, but it’s a rare feat to do this in two meets just a day apart.  Freshman Bodie Olsen accomplished this by first running a new personal record at the Three Lakes Invite and 36 hours later achieved another personal record at the Merrill Invite with a time of 20:50.  The coolest part of this story is that Bodie was the only JV teammate to hop onto the team bus to voluntarily go cheer on his varsity teammates racing at Merrill.  Little did Bodie know he would be asked to race due to two other teammates not being able to attend the meet.  Bodie was up to the challenge with a new jersey and his spikes delivered by his parents.  Bodie would start his first varsity race in a bold position, at 37th, and would never relinquish his position pushing himself to a new level.  The coaching staff was blown away by Bodie’s willingness to embrace this opportunity and race the way he did, convincing us that there’s a lot of potential with this freshman Hatchet.” 

Charlee Lund…“Making her presence felt on our team and around the conference is freshman Charlee Lund.  Since her high school debut she has been the leading Hatchet female at every race.  After an excellent middle school career, Charlee is off to a superb start for a high school career.  She is already flirting with running sub 20 minutes and has already joined the sub 21 minute club for Hatchet females.  With time, patience, and commitment she will surely continue to ascend.  Charlee races with an all or nothing drive that most recently helped her continually drop places in the Smiley Invite resulting in a new personal record of 20:29.  The coaching staff has been extremely impressed by her competitive drive and no nonsense approach.  Two aspects of her psyche that will lead to success for years to come.” 

Ryan Montag…“Earning a spot to race on the varsity boys team at Merrill is junior Ryan Montag.  Ryan has worked hard all summer putting in many miles and has earned his varsity call up. Ryan has nearly dropped his time in every race this season, with his most recent effort coming at the Smiley Invite with a 20:48 5k.  This season best time is only 20 seconds off of his personal record, which is a great sign at this point in the season.  Ryan is one of the most likeable guys on the team and is a friend to many.  Don’t let his friendly demeanor fool you though, as he is a true competitor on the race course.  Ryan shot out and ran alone ahead of his junior varsity teammates at the Smiley Invite, separated by nearly 100 runners to the next teammate and ran a superb race continually pushing himself at every turn of the race.  It’s this kind of brazen determination our boys squad needs.  Who better to bring it to the Merrill Invite than Ryan Montag?”  

Victoria Towle…“Only one girl had a personal record on the tough Menomonie course and that was freshman Victoria Towle.  Since the beginning of the season Victoria has quietly and consistently been one of the hardest working girls on the team.  She has benefited from this by going from a 30:22 5k to a 26:50 in only four weeks.  In fact every race she has gotten faster.  Look for Victoria to continue her improvement as she continues to learn what she can do with high school cross country training.  The girls have made it a point to commit to passing other competitors during a race, at Menomonie Victoria did just that by coming through the mile in 50th place and finishing the race in 39th.  Victoria’s calm demeanor and strong work ethic are an elite combination, which combined with the right training, off-season mileage, and time should result in another great varsity athlete.” 

Caiden Reichelt…“It seems our team is sometimes blessed by one senior who joins the cross country team for the first time, 2025 seems to be no different with Caiden Reichelt arriving as an instant major contributor.  Caiden has contributed well as a team leader and as a varsity scorer.  Caiden clearly followed the game plan for the Menomonie race and left it all out on the course with his new personal record of 19:25 finishing as the first Hatchet.  In the days leading up to the race he had been battling some injury issues but trusted the training process and was clearly ready for the Mustang Relays. Caiden has caught on fast and the coaches have been very pleased with his dedication and leadership.  He has proven to be an indispensable member of the boys team.” 

Faith Derleth… “A senior who is making her last year count in many ways is Faith Derleth.  Coming off of a great summer of training both distance and sprints has resulted in Faith’s best start to a season to date.  Faith has been a key scoring runner for our varsity girls in every race thus far this season by finishing as our 4th or 5th runner.  Just recently at the Marathon Invite she ran a season best time of 22:27 putting her not very far away from her personal best, which is a great sign so early in the season.  Her competitive consistency has been a great benefit for this talented girls team, but her best contribution has been her leadership.  The girls do have many experienced seniors this season but Faith has certainly led the charge and has helped the girls have a great camp and first few weeks of the season.  Faith knows the journey is far from over with the highs and lows to come, but the coaching staff feels confident she will collaboratively help steer the girls in the right direction."

Connor Zorn… “There’s some athletes that join a program and may have an impact on the team later, then there’s newcomers who make an immediate impact.  This immediate impact has occurred with the arrival of Connor Zorn in his high school debut.  Connor spent many summer days pounding out mileage and he’s reaping the rewards of his labor as a freshman stand out.  He started this season by earning a varsity spot and has only moved up his position within the team.  His times continue to drop with his most recent effort at Marathon yielding a sub 20 minute 5k.  The best part about this race though was that he started in 62nd at the mile and continued to pass runners until he finished in 51st place.  Connor will be a great young athlete to watch as he continues to learn more about running from the coaching staff and his teammates."